Community Almanac

The Taste of Rim Country is at 5 p.m., Saturday, March 5 at the Payson Public Library. Tickets are $30 per person and none will be sold at the door. Get over to the library to get a ticket and plan on a great evening of food, wine, fun and more and help support the many programs brought to Rim Country by the library, its staff and volunteers.

March 4 Friday

• Genealogy Library: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., 302 E. Bonita, Payson

• Payson Public Library: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

• Time Out Thrift Store: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., First Friday sale

• Pine Library: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

• Rim Country Museum: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., 700 Green Valley Pkwy.

• Pine/Strawberry Museum: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Pine Community Center

• American Legion Fish Fry: Noon-8 p.m., American Legion

• First Friday events: 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., all along Historic Main Street

• Get Moving at Green Valley Park: 4:30 p.m., walk, run or jog around the park with a group

• Concert: 7 p.m., Uptown Espresso

Time Out Thrift Shop has First Friday sale

Beginning with the first Friday in March, the Time Out Thrift Shop will have a half-off sale on everything in the shop on the first Friday of each month.

Shop for bargains before going to the Main Street festivities.

The shop is at 500 S. Beeline Highway (across from Wendy’s) and is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

All profits benefit Time Out, Inc., its domestic violence shelter, transitional housing and other domestic violence programs and services in the Payson community.

Relay for Life captains’ meeting rescheduled

The Relay for Life captains’ meeting previously planned for March 4 has been rescheduled to 5:30 p.m. Monday, March 21 at Payson Golf Course.

Benefit for cancer victim

Sierra Proctor, a 9-year-old attending Julie Randall Elementary School, is having a benefit yard/bake sale for her cousin Michelle Daniels. Michelle is fighting cancer. She is the wife of DJ Daniels, Payson High graduate, and daughter-in-law of Jerry and Darlene Daniels.

Sierra will be helped with her benefit by her great-grandma, Myrtle Warter; the Daniels family; grandma Sherry Proctor; and cousins Jinx and Jayne Pyle.

The benefit yard/bake sale is scheduled at the Payson Womans Club parking lot on historic Main Street from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., Friday, March 4 during the First Friday celebration and then from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, March 5.

Any donations either for the yard sale or bake sale will be much appreciated. For further information, please call (928) 474-2308.

Get moving to get ready for spring

Cassandra Stouder, a local group fitness instructor, is inviting anyone interested in walking, running or jogging to join her at 4:30 p.m., Monday, Wednesday and Friday at Green Valley Park. The activity starts this afternoon, Friday, March 4.

It is not a formal group. But those interested can meet at the Green Valley Park parking lot by the Veterans Memorial.

Chicken & dumplings benefit dinner

Rim Country residents and visitors are invited to a delicious sit-down dinner of chicken and dumplings, hot vegetable, dinner roll, dessert and drink for only $5. Dinner will be served from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., Friday, March 4 at 800 W. Main St. and includes entertainment by Anything Goes. All proceeds are used for the children at the Community Presbyterian Child Learning Center.

First Friday is March 4

Spring is in the air and it’s time to get out of hibernation and come celebrate March Madness on Main Street from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., Friday, March 4.

MoJoe’s has been redone inside and will have the Starlighters playing. Stop at Down The Street Art Gallery and watch artists make paintings come to life. Todd’s Books has new location that offers much more browsing space.

Volunteers honored

Artists of the Rim Gallery members wish to show appreciation to the many volunteers in Payson. During the month of February, the members of the cooperative collected the raffle tickets given to volunteers at the hospital, auxiliary and hospices. These tickets will be entered in the drawing for a $50 gift certificate.

The drawing will be on the first Friday in March (March 4).

Celtic concert, book signing

Bootleg Alley Antiques and Art of Payson will host Vyktoria Pratt Keating in a concert of Celtic music from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., Friday, March 4 as part of the First Friday celebration. Bootleg Alley is at 520 W. Main, Payson.

Eddie Armer will also be signing copies of his book, “The Silent Winds of the West, the true story of Charles Clifford (C.C.) Griffin,” at Bootleg Alley during the March First Friday event.

Down the Street Art Gallery hosts new artist

Susan Palmer of Christopher Creek is the newest member of the cooperative at Down the Street Art Gallery.

She will be featured through March with an opening reception from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., Friday, March 4 at the gallery, 703 W. Main St., Payson.

Program at Uptown Espresso

Sue Samuel will present at program at Uptown Espresso at 7 p.m., Friday, March 4.

She ministers around the world with her husband, Brian. Samuel also has two albums, “Songs from the Secret Place” and “Home Away From Home.”

For more information, call Marga or Nancy at (928) 478-7166 or visit http://uptownespresso.blogspot.com.

March 5 Saturday

• Genealogy Library: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., 302 E. Bonita, Payson

• Pine Library: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

• Payson Public Library: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

• Rim Country Museum: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., 700 Green Valley Pkwy.

• Pine/Strawberry Museum: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Pine Community Center

• Taste of Rim Country: 5 p.m., Payson Public Library, $30 per person, no tickets sold at door

Brush pit schedule

This coming weekend, the Regional Payson Area Project… for a Fire Wise Rim Country (RPAP) will be staffing free brush drop-off points at the following locations, weather permitting:

• Saturday, March 5 the Blattner Pit will be open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Blattner Pit is located at Milepost 259.7 on Highway 260, east of Payson.

• Sunday, March 6 the Pine Pit will be open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.. The Pine Pit is located .7 of a mile east of Highway 87 on Control Road, south of Pine.

All RPAP free drop-off locations are for brush, leaves, pine needles, trimmings and other vegetative materials only. Properly bagged Yellow Starthistle, or other listed noxious weed species will also be accepted and will be burned. No household garbage, construction debris, or other items will be accepted.

Appliance and metal discard day at landfill

The Buckhead Mesa Landfill will coordinate an old appliance “free day” from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, March 5.

The landfill staff will accept refrigerators, freezers, washers, dishwashers, dryers, portable trash compactors and water heaters. Other metal items will also be accepted.

The landfill fee for the weight of all appliances and the Freon from the refrigerators and freezers will be waived by Gila County. As the county will handle the Freon removal from the appliances, please do not tamper with the Freon lines.

For more information, call the landfill at (928) 476-3350.

Taste of Rim Country

The annual Taste of Rim Country event will be at 5 p.m., Saturday, March 5 at the Payson Public Library. A limited number of tickets will be sold. The cost is $30 per person and gives patrons an opportunity to taste the entries of chefs from around the Rim Country and sample a selection of wines as well. There will be no tickets sold at the door.

Event proceeds will support library programming that benefits the community.

March 6 Sunday

• Rim Country Museum: 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., 700 Green Valley Pkwy.

• Pine/Strawberry Museum: 12 p.m. to 4 p.m., Pine Community Center

• Bingo: 1 p.m., Elks Lodge, open to the public

• Jazz concert: 2 p.m., Community Presbyterian Church

• Southern Gospel concert: 6 p.m., Star Valley Baptist Church

Jazz concert Sunday features Patrick and Roberts

Rising star, jazz and soul vocalist Renee Patrick teams up with multiple Grammy nominee pianist and vocalist, Judy Roberts, and an all-star band in a very special performance that will entertain those of all ages and musical tastes.

The performance is from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday, March 6 at the Payson Community Presbyterian Church, 800 W. Main St.

A $5 donation is requested at the door and includes refreshments. Seating is limited to 225, and while RSVPs are not required, a return response with the number that plan to attend will help plan this event.

Live from Nashville, the Blackwood Legacy features Rick Price, Gospel Music Hall of Fame member and former lead singer for the legendary Blackwood Brothers Quartet. With Price will be award-winning worship musicians, Luke and Jake Yates.